‘Raat Aur Din’, which released in 1967, was a film which was considered way ahead of its time and won Nargis Dutt the National Film Award. It told the story of Varuna, a married woman who suffers from multiple personality disorder. During the day, she is a typical Indian homemaker but at night she calls herself Peggy and walks the streets of Calcutta. The film won critical acclaim for its bold story and Nargis’s performance as Varuna. Over the years the film has developed a cult following and it is time for a modern remake.
The production house which is making the new film had earlier chosen Madhuri Dixit to fill the shoes of the legendary Nargis Dutt. But here was a problem, when the banner brought in Abbas-Mustan to direct the remake, they had the name of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the mind for the role. They believe that only she could recreate the magic of Nargis Dutt.
Interestingly, the Madhuri and Aishwarya had starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s superhit film Devdas, where they had played love rivals vying for the attention of Shah Rukh Khan.
Names of both actresses were in contention for the lead role. Sources tell that Abbas-Mustan’s choice finally won the round. If things go as per plan Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will play the role made famous by Nargis Dutt.